Posts Tagged ‘narcissism’
Understanding Narcissism- Helping you to better yourself - Dr Dato’s Insight - Part 2
Wednesday, November 21st, 2012
Fig. 1 shows two individuals who are in the same environment and perhaps engaging in a conversation. As an example, if you find yourself on the receiving end of a conversation where you cannot have your say edgeways then you maybe talking to someone with a tendency towards narcissism. However, keep in mind that some people by choice are very quiet in nature and if someone chooses to do the talking, it’s because they may be feeling anxious. You could also argue that the person who is doing all the talking could have more empathy and allow the other person to say something to keep them engaged by asking questions. However, a measure of narcissism can be accurately determined if the behavior is consistent all the time independent of the people or circumstances they are in. You could say the individual is self-absorbed in what they have to say and is not really interested in other people’s opinions or thoughts. The illustration in Fig. 1 shows a triangular shape between the two individuals B and C with a higher point A. The idea of the triangulation will become more clear as it is explained with reference to our personalities and in particular our own level of awareness.
If you find yourself in the above category where you are constantly pushing your thoughts and not hearing other people’s thoughts, the illustration of Fig. 2 could be a good representation of you. Here the bold line stretches between the two individuals B and C and basically it means that you may be completely blind to the other person, lacking completely in any form of empathy. I do not believe any human can operate at this level since they need to be aware somewhat of their environment and have some social intercourse with other humans in order to get along. I would say that most animals would exist along this line where their existence is based purely on survival. Any interaction within their environment would be based on a reactionary method of survival where the degree of cooperation is far less and more about ‘I’ the animal.
Man’s greater mental capacity and the ability to think and reason have made them superior animals over all others. They are the only beings that have the capability to reach a higher form in their ability to think and act and according to this level of ability in each individual, the point A shown in Fig. 1 has some bearing to this discussion. Let’s assume that Point A with reference to the individuals B and C is the ultimate point where all humans strive for. This sets the line between points C and A where an individual’s ability of ‘total awareness’ can be measured by how far they are away from mid-point A. Think of point A as a point where if you have been fortunate enough to have reached it, your presence alone will have significant bearings on your environment. It is a point where you are completely aware of your own environment and the individuals in it, which includes you (B) and the other individual (A). Here you are completely at ease with yourself without any ego to distort your conversation with the other person.
The aim of the visualization is to help individuals understand where they are on the triangle however, be careful as to where you think you are on the line between B and A. I am of the opinion that the almost unachievable state of A, although looks to be relatively easily achieved is in fact on a logarithmic scale. This means as you get closer to A, the more difficult it is to reach it, think of it as the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle (see references). In essence, this brings the very important topic of ‘spiritualism’ into our discussion. This implies that if you have ever achieve point A in your life, you would be in a state where you have reached the ultimate level of spiritualism and where you have achieved complete awareness. A condition that is not imaginable by the human being but where everyone indirectly are striving to reach this higher form and level. In provides some meanings to the religious and spiritual teachings that have shaped mankind’s thinking throughout the ages and still going strong today.
Tags: attraction, love, narcissism